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Background: Past research on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a chronic endocrine condition, has focused on the experiences of cisgender women.Aims: The purpose of the present study was to address the knowledge gap about gender-diverse individuals by exploring their lived experiences with PCOS and to better understand if and how their gender identity affected their experience of PCOS.Methods: To explore this, we recruited nine non-binary people and one transgender man with a PCOS diagnosis for qualitative interviews.Results: Three overarching themes emerged: PCOS as a burden, PCOS as an occasion, and PCOS as a benefit. While some aspects of PCOS created an additional burden for our participants, other symptoms such as excess body and facial hair could be empowering and affirming, revealing a positive aspect of this chronic condition.Conclusion: This study is the first to describe the lived experiences of gender-diverse individuals with PCOS, uncovering burdens as well as some benefits. Future research in this population may reveal not only the particulars of what PCOS is like for them but also more generalizable insights into the highly gendered perception and treatment of PCOS.

Polycystic-ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age, and many features associated with PCOS - such as elevated androgens, insulin resistance and inflammation - are known to affect cognition. However, effects of PCOS on cognition are not well-understood. Here we review the current literature on PCOS and cognition, note the extent of PCOS symptomatology studied in relation to cognitive outcomes, and identify key research gaps and common methodological concerns. Findings indicate a pattern of worse performance across cognitive domains and brain measures in women with PCOS relative to nonPCOS controls, as well as a lack of evidence for the common assumption that women with PCOS will have higher performance on tasks with a demonstrated male-advantage due to high testosterone levels. We suggest strategies for moving beyond the focus on elevated androgens, in favor of research practices that account for the nuances and heterogeneity of PCOS symptoms., Funding Agencies|Ontario Graduate Scholarship-International; Jacqueline Ford Gender and Health Fund; Wilfred and Joyce Posluns Chair in Womens Brain Health and Aging from the Posluns Family Foundation; Womens Brain Health Initiative; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Alzheimers Society of Canada; Ontario Brain Institute [WJP-150643]